In Channel 4's candid two-part documentary The Rise and Fall of Tony Blair, Mr Meyer claims the threat explains why the Prime Minister vowed to stand "shoulder-to-shoulder" with Bush over the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan - to thwart his allguns blazing battle plan.

But it meant sending British troops to Iraq knowing Washington had NOT made preparations for its post-war reconstruction.

From the other side of the pond, Daily Kos comments in outspoken terms:

The next time a world leader feels like legitimizing some reckless endeavor because they think they can keep control of Americans better by working on the inside, I have a request: don't do us any bloody favors. And Tony, if you wanted to stop this war, the way to do it was to speak out against it, not pal up with the instigator. W***er.